


The 7th Element

by greyquill



Series: Everything Through The Stars [1]
Category: NCT (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-10 01:01:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20519372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyquill/pseuds/greyquill
Summary: Two completely different sides of a moral compass race towards the center of the universe for a mystical orb holding the power to revolutionize their worlds as they know it. The orb just so happens to be in the middle of one of the biggest parties known to the universe.Who will reach it first?





	The 7th Element

**Author's Note:**

> A few terms to know:  
Span- month  
Rotation- week  
Revolution- year  
Intergalactic Guard- Police of the universe  
Terra/Terran- Earth/Human  
Language of universal communication- Imperial K (basically, the English of space)
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy!

Sunlight shines down into the white room and warms it to a slightly uncomfortable temperature. Sensors in the walls pick up on the elevated temperature and begin cooling the room through an advanced system that regulates from within the very walls. The system works quick and brings the room to a nice temp before the built in speakers in the black crown molding begin to play a melody full of bass that travels down the walls and through the half-steel/half-carpeted floor to the bed placed at the far wall of the suite. The vibrations slowly rouse the man tangled in the luxurious egyptian blue sheets and covers. He stretches his arms above his head against the pillows softer than clouds and hums in satisfaction when he feels his shoulders and back pop audibly. He relaxes back onto the bed, letting the last traces of sleep leave his mind before he sits up. 

“Good morning, Jackson,” a warm voice like tinkling glass calls from the speakers as the volume of the music is lowered. 

“Good morning, Bambam,” Jackson smiles as he stands, slippers at his feet before they can meet the plush carpeted floor. He extends his arms as two sleek robotic handles lower from the ceiling and place a silk robe on him, tying it loosely around his waist before retracting with a soft click. He turns to his nightstand, a small plate sliding down from the surface and rising again with an elegant cup of hot tea. 

“The weather is exceptionally pleasant today and the galactic weather service forecasts the same conditions for the next span around our system.” 

He grasps the cup gingerly, taking a small sip and smiling when the tea’s warmth is just right. Not hot enough to burn but not lukewarm either. He walks around the bed and towards the balcony with glass panes. His slippers are soundless as he crosses from the carpet to the polished white metal floor. The panes slide open as he approaches and the white filmy curtains draw themselves away to the sides. He walks out onto the balcony and places his cup on the flat edge of the surrounding quartz barrier. He smiles as the sun shines down on him, warming the exposed skin of his neck and chest. 

A cool breeze flits his short brown hair as he looks down over the resort. He admires the light blue sands of the beach and the byzantium purple ocean lapping away at it, and of course the sky couldn’t be any lovelier shade of grey. It reminds him of the pearl rivers of a planet in the neighboring galaxy. 

He inhales and sighs softly before throwing his arms up and yelling at the heavens. His voice carrying and echoing against the chatoyant walls of the grand resort situated before the beach. Below his balcony there’s resounding cheers from the many diverse guests, enjoying the great array of facilities and activities. 

“It’s time, Bambam! It’s time!” He grabs his cup and downs the rest of the tea before marching back into his room. 

“I need my best tracksuit!” 

“Yes, sir!” 

“And get my studio ready!” 

He holds the cup out to the robotic arm that comes out of the wall, taking it graciously before retracting into the wall, “I’m about to drop the hottest song the entire universe will never forget!” 

“Yes, Jackson!” 

He rushes into his bathroom, throwing his robe off as he goes.

~~~

_ “(Ah yeah yeah yeah ah yeah) You’ll fall asleep at 3 Red sun” _

The song slowly fades and a melodic voice is quick to follow, “Where you want to be~” The voice changes to an energetic one, “Welcome to Galaxy Of The 7th Heaven! This is Jackson Wang from China! Prepare yourselves for the one, the only Party Of Destiny! Some of your favorite artists will be featured here! For one day, one night of never ending music and food! Buy your tickets for this very exclusive, very exciting party! Buy them, people, androids, animals, humanoids, hybrids! Because they’re going fast! Don’t forget, here at the one and only GOT7! And now for my very own, brand new single ‘Oxygen’!” His voice fades out and music presides. 

“Could you turn it down a bit? I’m trying to work here.” 

Taeyong pouts as he watches Johnny reach over to the control panel on the wall and slide a finger over the display, lowering the volume. He’s seated across from him in the spacious living room area of the yacht-like spaceship. The outside of which is a black reflective color, meant to blend in with its surroundings and cause less space pollution. The interior of the ship is nicely outfitted with cabins, a stargazing deck, and, of course, a mini-bar. 

Johnny crosses his legs and scrolls mindlessly through his holographic phone as he sips at a glass of champagne. His dapper cherry red suit contrasts sharply with the neutral colors of the ship. His long hair is pulled back into an intricate bun yet a few strands manage to fall freely in front of his face. He tucks them back behind his ear before his attention goes back to his phone. 

Taeyong sits still back straight and facing forward, holding his left arm out obediently as Ten works on it. He has a small, clean tool kit at his side as he looks over the intricate machinations and wires within the open plates comprising Taeyong’s forearm. Ten huffs in annoyance as he works, hands and tools precise. Johnny puts away his phone with a flick of his wrist and glances at his best friend as he works. He notices Taeyong’s eyes drifting down every few seconds to look at Ten with an unreadable expression on his face. Johnny smirks and serves himself more champagne. 

“So what was wrong with his arm?” 

Ten shakes his head. “No clue,” he levels Taeyong with a strict expression and narrowed eyes before looking back down at his work, “He hasn’t a clue either.” 

Johnny chuckles, “Are you still letting him go at the archives?” 

Ten shakes his head no as he mends a frayed wire. “He doesn’t need to. All he needs to know is to protect my ass and that is all.” 

Johnny sips at his glass and tilts his head to the side, “It doesn’t hurt to let him explore other areas. He might even find something he enjoys.” 

Ten scoffs as he presses on a point near Taeyong’s elbow. The plates of his arm mold back into place and Ten unrolls the sleeve of Taeyong’s black dress shirt. Taeyong stretches his arm and flexes his fingers, opening and closing his palm. Ten watches with sharp eyes as Taeyong straightens out his sleeve and buttons it into place over his arm. 

“Well he could.” 

“Johnny, need I remind you that Taeyong is an android and androids do not have emotions.” 

Taeyong places his hands on his lap and bows his head, “Thank you, master.” 

Ten picks up his tool kit and closes it before tucking it away in one of the pockets of his all grey bodysuit. Johnny frowns up at his friend as he comes near and sits, serving himself a glass. 

“Androids have feelings, Ten.” 

“Well this one doesn’t. I built him, remember?” 

Johnny sighs a bit when he notices Taeyong look the least bit uncomfortable. 

“Anyway, I didn’t come onto this ship to discuss my android. Did your fiance get us tickets into that ‘Party Of Destiny’?” 

“Of course he did.” 

“Good, everything is going according to plan.” 

“What exactly are you planning to find there? It’s just one huge party.” 

“Don’t worry about it. You just enjoy yourself and have fun with Taeil” 

“Just don’t go and blow up the planet, alright?” 

Ten laughs and stands, downing his glass in one go, “Can’t make any promises. I’m going to nap. Wake me once we’re there.” 

“Yeah,” Johnny watches Ten walk off through the door that materializes out of his way and then reappears once he’s through. He looks over at Taeyong. The android is staring at the wall, awaiting instruction. 

Upon first glance, he looks like any other human (if every other human were devastatingly handsome) with slightly tanned skin and blue-ish grey-ish hair. His mannerisms and reserved personality are a huge giveaway to his true nature; although, Johnny has seen him act much out of character countless times. Whenever the android thought no one was watching, he’d be cooing over pictures of different infant animals, humming along to songs, and even reading fiction. Johnny smiles, “Hey, Taeyong” 

He looks over at him. 

“Follow me, I want to show you something.” 

Johnny stands. He can see the android hesitating. “Don’t worry, Ten won’t need you right now. This spaceship is secure.” 

Taeyong finally stands and follows Johnny out of the room as he leads him to the stargazing deck. The deck is a room on the left side of the ship with a thick sheet of some of the strongest glass known in the universe standing between the room and the expanse of space outside. Inside sits Moon Taeil, a wildly famous model and singer praised by many across thousands of galaxies for having a voice so uniquely beautiful. It’s said when he sings that giants in uncharted areas of the galaxy burst into supernovas and paint the heavens with colors that are yet to be named. 

He’s seated on a cushion with a blanket around his shoulders, staring up at the cosmos. He glances back when Johnny and Taeyong enter and smiles, “Hello” 

“Hi, beautiful” 

“Salutations, Moon Taeil” 

Taeil chuckles as Johnny makes himself comfortable next to him, wrapping his long limbs around him, “Taeyong, please just call me Taeil.” 

Taeyong nods, “As you wish, Taeil.” He continues to stand near the door as if guarding it with his arms at his sides and face forward. 

Johnny pulls Taeil closer on the cushions and kisses his cheek. Taeil smiles, blushing faintly, “I don’t think you brought Taeyong in here so he could watch you make a move on me, did you?” 

Johnny chuckles and Taeil smiles up at him. 

“Well, no, that’s not entirely the reason.” 

Johnny looks over at Taeyong and beckons him close, “Sit with us, Taeyong. Enjoy the view” Taeyong looks at Johnny before turning his gaze to Taeil, silently asking permission. Taeil smiles kindly and nods, patting the vacant plushy cushion to his right. 

Taeyong walks forward and sits on it, crossing his legs beneath himself before staring up at the wide speckled space. His wide eyes absorb the sight of millions of shining, twinkling lights on the pitch-black canvas. His objective mind whirring to life and pointing out all the constellations charted away in his database from his searches in the archives. Soon enough, he starts to make his own. Eyes darting from star to star. Imagination running wild. 

A soft giggle breaks him from his daydreams and he side-eyes the couple sitting next to him. They’re whispering amongst themselves. Johnny holds Taeil’s hand in his own, their fingers entwined. Taeyong looks away and back towards the stars. 

He’s seen a couple of films and read enough books to understand the concepts of intimacy and different types of relationships. He knows affection is meant to be pleasant and yet when he interlaces his own hands over his lap, he doesn’t get the fluttering feeling in his chest or the burning sensation on his cheeks that the texts describe. 

He comes to two conclusions: 

1) The fluttering feeling only results when such acts are done with another being and 

2) ERROR: PATHWAY NOT FOUND … 

His mind refuses to admit the faults of his own cold, metallic body. As he stares out at the stars, his hands unconsciously come together to hold themselves and the constellations he creates unwittingly begin to take a likeness to his creator.

~~~

“Welcome to Galaxy Of The 7th Heaven! This is Jackson Wang from China! Prepare yourselves for the one, the only Party Of Destiny! Some of your favorite artists will be featured here! For one day, one night of never-ending music and food! Buy your tickets for this very exclusive, very exciting party! Buy them, people, androids, animals, humanoids, hybrids! Because they’re going fast! Don’t forget, here at the one and only GOT7! And now for my very own, brand new single ‘Oxygen’!” 

“Did you hear that?” 

“Hm?” 

“That’s it. That’s the event the oracle spoke of.” 

Jimin twists around, trying to escape from his husband’s hold on his waist. He holds on tighter and continues to pepper kisses on his bare neck and chest. 

“Joon” 

“Do you really want me to stop?” 

Namjoon chuckles when he receives silence as a response. 

“We need tickets into that party, Joonie” 

“Alright, I’ll get us some.” 

“Thank you.” 

He kisses Namjoon’s cheek as he opens the hatch of their sleeping compartment. It’s a horizontal rectangular space with cushions, regulated temperature, artificial gravity, and a control panel that monitors the rest of the ship. Namjoon pulls himself out of the compartment and shivers as he floats in the main hall before closing the hatch to his and Jimin’s sleeping quarter. 

He yelps as his brief clad butt suddenly meets the hard steel of the floor. Jimin’s voice comes through the ship’s PA system, “Are you ok? I’m sorry! I forgot to turn it on!” 

Namjoon groans as he stands and rubs his now aching butt, “I’m ok” He opens a compartment in the wall by pressing a hand to a small display. The wall hisses as it slides away to reveal a cylindrical space large enough to accommodate one person. Namjoon steps inside and enters a code into a numerical pad within the tube. The tube closes and small nozzles emerge, spraying him all over with a mist like disinfectant before robotic arms dress him. The whole procedure takes 10 seconds at most and Namjoon steps out in one of his favorite outfits. Nice space gear boots, long baggy pants, an equally baggy shirt, and a long cardigan to top it all off. 

He walks down the hall towards the cockpit of the ship, or as he likes to call it “mission control”, and swings the door open. Within, the lights are dimmed save for the ones of the buttons and switches across the navigational dashboard. He slides into his seat on the left where he keeps track of missions and other pieces of information while Jimin actually navigates their ship. 

As he sits down, the holographic screen comes to life, displaying their position among the stars, the status of the ship’s systems, and news broadcasted by an organization of vigilantes that Jimin is a proud part of. His eyes glance over the data, taking note of everything before entering the universal web. 

With quick flicks and swipes, he’s directed to the home site of the galaxy-renowned vacation planet: Momoda. He frowns as he finds the specific page for the ‘Party Of Destiny’ event. Jimin comes walking in and Namjoon glances over his shoulder at him. He’s in his regular clothes of tight leather pants (that accentuate his thighs very nicely), a white dress shirt, and a half vest half shoulder holster made of a thin, breathable bulletproof fabric (invented by one of their closest friends). 

“Baby, we have a problem.” 

Jimin steps around his seat and plops down on his lap, “What is it?” 

Namjoon’s arms instinctively wrap around his waist, “The tickets for the event cost quite a bit and we’re low on funds because of the reparations that had to be made to the ship after the firefight in the Indri system…” 

Jimin leans back against him, “Sounds like we need to pay the oracle another visit.” 

“He wouldn’t be very pleased to hear that you call him that instead of his name, you know.” 

Jimin kisses Namjoon’s cheek right over where one of his dimples would be before standing and moving to the pilot’s seat. 

“Nothing but respect for my oracle.” 

Namjoon chuckles as Jimin starts flipping switches and pressing buttons and displays, powering on the engines and performing checks. 

“Heading a course for Kormorat and then we’ll continue to Narhok.” 

“Kormorat? Don’t tell me-” 

“I need them. I’m down to three and they won’t last me another rotation.” 

“Fine, but only cause you’re cute.” 

“Only cause I’m cute?!” 

Jimin giggles, “And because I love you.” 

Namjoon smiles, satisfied, “I love you too.” 

He buckles himself into his seat and then they’re off at lightspeed.

~~~

Taeyong walks into Ten’s room. He sees his blanketed form lying on the bed close to the far wall. The minimal light of the room created by the wall to ceiling lava lamp in the corner to the right of the door is enough for him to see his creator’s face cast in shades of pink and blue. Even if there were no light in the room, his eyes would be perfectly capable of seeing what was there. He steps closer and kneels in front of the beautiful man. 

“Master” 

He doesn’t stir. 

“Master” 

No response. 

“Ten” 

Taeyong’s eyes widen as a laser gun is pressed to the underside of his jaw. Ten pulls a slide on the side of the cylindrical weapon and it makes a whirring sound. Taeyong gulps, uncharacteristically, since androids do not need to gulp, well he doesn’t. Ten’s eyes narrow. 

“My patience is running thin with you. Your only purpose is to serve and protect me, understand? Anything else is meaningless.” He moves the end of the gun towards his chest, where his power core lies underneath a broad, toned chest. “I brought you into this universe and I can just as quickly take you out of it, understood?” 

Taeyong nods. 

“Never call me that again. You refer to me as ‘master’.” 

Taeyong bows his head, nose almost touching the barrel of the gun, “A million apologies, master.” 

Ten clicks his tongue harshly and jerks the gun away, powering it off before sitting up. Taeyong stands and steps back. Ten pulls his white sleeping gown off over his head and stands. 

“Now help me into my suit.” 

“Yes, master.” 

Taeyong retrieves the grey bodysuit from the closet and begins to help Ten into it, trying to avoid letting his eyes linger over his creator’s lithe sculpted form. Once Ten is dressed, he holsters his gun, a T’skorr used rarely on his home planet with enough power in one mag to melt through a couple of inches of a metal plate of armor. Ten walks out of the room followed by Taeyong. 

“Johnny said he and Taeil will stay on the ship while we’re here.” 

“Yeah, I figured they would.” 

Ten runs a hand through his raven hair as they enter the airlock and then walk down the platform of the ship. The city of Upsilon towers before them. The Sacramento green atmosphere and the moonlight only add to its slum-like appearance. 

“Come on, Taeyong, and keep your guard up. The people in this city will tear you apart and sell you before you have a chance to blink.” Ten walks away from Taeil’s ship and into the fray of merchants and thieves, selling wares and devices that are as astonishing as they are illegal. Taeyong follows close behind Ten as they make their way through the crowds of humanoids and aliens alike. His eyes glance around, taking in gaunt faces, robes of different materials, the ground below his feet a mix of metal and red dirt like copper, and staggeringly tall, clustered buildings appearing to be made of the Terran equivalent of tin. 

Once they’re past the market, Ten leads him to one of the buildings. He presses a finger to a small button beside two shut doors, appearing to have been rusted shut. 

“Master, these buildings do not appear to be structurally sound.” 

Ten crosses his arms, “They may not look it, but every single building in this city was designed to be perfectly balanced. The only thing that can knock any of them down is an SMR Extinctor and we both know how hard it is to come by one of those.” Ten smirks as the doors open into a metal box lit by fluorescent light. They both step in. Ten enters a code into the display inside beside the doors and then they’re being propelled up towards the top of the towering building. 

They slow to a stop and the wall to their left slides up and out of the way, revealing a dark corridor lit only by blue and purple neon lights running parallel on the ceiling. Ten steps out and starts down the hall, followed by a curious-eyed Taeyong. As they near the end, they can hear low, bass-filled music emanating from behind a drape made of the finest fabric in the galaxy at the end of the hall. Taeyong slips a hand in and holds back one of the drapes for Ten to pass through. Ten fixes a professional smile on his face as he walks in.

“Mark!” 

Taeyong follows his creator in and can’t help but be impressed by the room before him. The far wall is completely glass and looking over the rest of the slums of Upsilon. The light from the sky comes into the room, throwing long shadows across the floor. There’s a circular couch in the middle of the room and a triangular table crafted of crystal. Before them sits a thin yet built silhouetted form, the gleam of a titanium cybernetic arm standing out. Taeyong can make out his face clearly and recognizes him as one of the universe’s youngest and most formidable renegades: Mark Lee. He doesn’t know much about him except the little that is known in the archives, and that he and his creator are close. 

Mark smiles upon hearing Ten’s unique voice, “You’re here early.” 

“I hitched a ride with a friend.” 

Mark stands and approaches them, extending a leather-gloved hand. Ten grins and pulls him in for a hug. Mark chuckles and pats Ten’s back before turning to Taeyong and raising his hand for a high-five. 

“Hi, Taeyong!” 

Taeyong looks at Mark’s raised metal hand and then back at the blond-haired boy, confused. Mark frowns as Ten steps away and moves to sit on the couch. 

“He doesn’t remember you. I had to reset him.” 

Mark lowers his hand and glances back at Ten over his shoulder before turning back to Taeyong, “Why? He was so cool.” 

“Precisely. Taeyong got distracted during a mission. He started malfunctioning and I almost lost my target because of that.” 

Mark pouts as he watches Taeyong walk around him and stand at Ten’s side. 

“You could just change his programming or add in a second chip. That way he can be HIMSELF and do his job at the same time.” 

Ten glances up at Taeyong and then returns his gaze to Mark, “If I wanted a sentient bodyguard, I would have hired one. This is more convenient.” Mark sits beside Ten. 

“It’s not good to be alone, Ten.” 

“Are you trying to lecture me, Mr. Intergalactic Robin Hood?” 

“I mean, you need friends, besides me and Johnny.” 

“You’re both like family to me, Mark. I’m fine.” 

“You’re gonna need someone besides family or friends…” 

“You mean I need someone like Donghyuck is to you?” 

Mark blushes and stutters, “W-w-well, y-yeah, of c-course, y-you need r-really c-c-close f-friends” 

Ten smirks, “Is that what you two are? Just really close friends?” 

Mark nods, pressing his lips into a straight line and hoping his red cheeks aren’t visible in the dimly lit room. 

“Funny, I didn’t know close friends-” 

“Oookayyyyyyy!” 

Ten chuckles, “Alright, spill.” 

Mark shakes his head. 

“I don’t have much and I doubt it’s going to help any,” he waves a hand over the triangle table before them. It flickers to life and projects a 3D layout of the GOT7 resort. The projection lights up their faces in a white hue. Mark reaches forward and with two fingers pulls the image close into a large ballroom, “There’s an empty space just above this room and from chatter on different satellites, I can tell you for certain that the object you’re looking for will be there” 

Ten’s eyes narrow in interest and he leans forward, eyes glazing over a bit. 

“Did… Did they say what it was?” 

Mark shakes his head and leans back, “Just that it could bring about the end of the entire universe in the wrong hands, yadda yadda. You know, the usual prophecy jargon.” 

“And to think they’re going to leave it at a place like that…” 

A high pitched voice interrupts, “A place like that?! It’s only the best resort this side of the universe!” 

Taeyong’s right arm converts into a laser cannon with a few clicks and hisses and is precise as he aims at the new person in the room. The pretty boy freezes up, clutching a hand at his chest over his blouse. Mark’s eyes widen and he turns to Ten, “Tell him to stand down now!” 

Ten smirks, “Or what?” 

“It’s not fucking funny, Ten!” 

Ten giggles as he pats Taeyong’s thigh, “Down, boy.” Taeyong slowly lowers his arm as it whirs, parts changing back into place to form his arm as it was. Mark stands and crosses the room to hug the startled boy. Once he’s about his wits, he glares over Mark’s shoulder at Ten through his caramel brown bangs, “What’s the matter with you?!” 

“Hello to you too, Haechan.” 

Haechan stomps over to Taeyong, “Hand!” 

Taeyong quirks an eyebrow. Haechan huffs in annoyance and grabs his wrist, pulling his hand forward and slapping it. Taeyong frowns and his eyebrows furrow even more in confusion. 

“No laser pointing at friends! I’m your friend! It’s mean and dangerous!” 

Taeyong looks down at the boy in confusion, not recognizing him at all (but he does like his outfit: long navy coat over a white blouse and black trousers.) 

“You’re going to have to reintroduce yourself, Hyuck. Ten wiped his memory. Again.” 

Haechan narrows his eyes at Ten before reaching up to cover Taeyong’s ears, “Stop mistreating this poor android just cause you’re scared of love!” Ten barks out a laugh and Haechan steps away to cross his arms over his chest, “So what are you doing here, anyway?” 

“Just getting the latest gossip from Mark.” 

Ten stands, “We’ll be seeing you at that party. Bye-bye!” He starts to walk past Haechan tailed by Taeyong but stops when Haechan gets in his way. 

“You’re going like that?” 

Ten rolls his eyes as Haechan looks him up and down, “No, this is my work clothes.” 

“Then I hope you’re not going in an all-black outfit because you’ll stick out like a sore tentacle” 

“What’s wrong with-” 

Haechan grins and hooks his arm with Ten’s, “Let’s get you a nice outfit, ok?!” Ten complains loudly as he’s dragged away by the diva and into another room. Taeyong begins to follow but is stopped by Mark’s hands on his shoulders. He glances back at him and Mark smiles. 

“Let’s get you fixed while Ten is distracted.” 

Mark takes Taeyong’s hand and leads him to sit on the couch again. Taeyong sits and looks at Mark with a frown on his face. He glances back over his shoulder towards where his creator left before turning back to Mark, “Fix me?” 

“You’ll understand once it’s done,” Mark waves a hand over the hologram of the table and it flickers off. He gives the surface a light tap and the top flips over to reveal a work table with different tools and materials kept in place by indentions and clasps. Taeyong’s eyes glance over it and his mind is overwhelmed with the sheer variety of the instruments. Mark begins grabbing different utensils, placing them in a cluster before him while he taps away at a small display on the corner of the table. 

“Tell me, Taeyong, do you ever find your mind just wandering?” 

“Wandering?” 

Mark nods as a floppy disk-like device is ejected from a slot along the slanted edge of the table just underneath the display. He grabs the light blue device and places it beside the tools he grabbed. He begins to work at it as he talks. 

“Thinking of different subjects in the archives you’re curious about, different stories, daydreaming about things you like, feeling, wanting to feel, wanting to touch… Wanting to know your true purpose?” 

Taeyong’s eyes widen and he freezes up, avoiding Mark’s gaze. Mark smiles and holds up the blue-chip between thumb and index fingers. It seems to glow in the light of the moon. 

“You’ll understand those ghosts of your soul with this... May I insert it?” 

Taeyong looks at the chip with a sparkle of wonder in his eyes and silently turns around, back facing Mark. He undoes the top buttons of his shirt enough for it to slide down off his shoulders, revealing the expanse of light-toned skin where his shoulders meet his neck. A small plate blends in with the rest of his skin but Mark, having made Taeyong’s general blueprint in the first place, can make it out easily. He traces his finger over the area, a pattern that’s a passcode and the small plate hisses, shifting into two small doors that open outward. Within the plate is three slots among wiring and fibers, making up Taeyong’s intricate endoskeleton. One of the slots is already used and housing a transparent pink chip, the essence of Taeyong narrowed down only to his programming and anything he’s learned from his own dives in the archives. 

Mark slowly inserts the new blue chip and makes sure it’s firmly in place before closing the small compartment. Taeyong starts buttoning up his shirt again and turns to face Mark. Mark grins, “Alright, now I need you to shut yourself down and restart again. Quickly.” 

Taeyong seems hesitant as his hands lower once again to his lap. 

“It’ll be alright. Trust me.” 

Taeyong breathes out unevenly before closing his eyes. The last thing he sees is Mark’s wide, curious eyes and the small smile on his lips. The last thought he has before his mind goes completely dark is how incredibly similar to a Terran lion cub Mark looks like.

~~~

Namjoon raises his hands over his head as he puts on his helmet, making sure it clicks into place and seals before lowering his arms. The glass fogs up in front of his face and then clears when his space suit starts to supply oxygen. 

“All good?” 

Namjoon makes sure the suit is completely sealed as designated by the small green display on the left side of his vision overlooking the suit’s systems before turning to his husband with a thumbs up. Jimin smiles and opens the hatch at the rear of their ship within the airlock by pressing a hand to the screen beside it. 

The door opens outwards with a hiss. It extends till it touches the brittle silver grass outside. Jimin steps out and Namjoon follows down the platform. Jimin slips his hand into Namjoon’s gloved one as they walk towards an orifice on the desecrate surface of the moon they’re on devoid of everything but caverns and brittle grass. 

The moon orbits around the slow-progressing planet Narhok in the Cronka system within the Agust galaxy at the far reaches of the universe. The atmosphere of the moon is practically non-existent and Namjoon trips over his feet a bit when he glances up at the stars and the splashes of blue and purple nebulae. Jimin smiles and holds Namjoon’s hand firmly, keeping him steady. He glances back over his shoulder and grins when he sees Namjoon’s smiling face and the heavens reflected on his helmet. Namjoon turns away from the sky and squeezes Jimin’s hand as they begin to descend into the dark cave. Jimin squeezes back as they make their way through the darkness. 

They walk deep into the moon before they begin to see light ahead. At first, it’s a small speck in the distance and then it illuminates their faces. They hear a fine and mellow voice singing as they near the end of the tunnel that opens up into a paradise of sorts. They look at each other, exchanging questioning looks. Jimin frowning and Namjoon smiling a bit as they step into the cavern, alight by soft yellow bioluminescent vines and flowers growing like ophidians up and up till none of the cave ceiling is visible. Peeking through the glow are the plant’s true colors of red and orange. Namjoon lets go of Jimin’s hand momentarily to remove his helmet, breathing in the fresh oxygen of the air pocket in the cavern before holding his husband’s hand once again. 

The mellow voice continues and in between the verses are soft giggles from the jungle ahead. Jimin and Namjoon plunge into the foliage of tropical-like plants that surround them on every side. It’s a literal jungle without all the discomfort of heat and humidity. A haven. 

Ahead lies the smallest of clearings, like an oasis, and within it cushions and platters of exquisite foods and fruits. Among the treasures sit two. One clad in a loose monotone print dress shirt and slacks with a black wide-brimmed hat on the crown of his head, the other in silky black and carmine red floral ceremonial robes of the Narhokians with a shimmering diamond headpiece framing his face. 

Jimin and Namjoon crouch just out of view and watch as the oracle in black serenades the tittering beauty. Namjoon smiles despite not understanding the Narhok dialect that he sings in. Jimin leans close to Namjoon, pressing himself almost completely to him as he translates in sign language. Namjoon wraps an arm around Jimin’s waist, gaze flickering between his hands and the scene before him. 

“ _ Honeycomb, drip amber rays of sun. The sweetness that is you. Honeycomb. And I the humble bee that brings the pollen to. Your gilded lips _ ” 

Namjoon’s smile grows as Jimin translates. They continue to watch until Jimin presses closer to Namjoon causing him to wobble and fall over, rustling leaves on his way down. The pair before them looks over. The oracle sighs a bit as the other scrambles off his lap, blushing red. Namjoon gets up with Jimin’s help and smiles apologetically, “Sorry, Yoongi” 

The oracle shakes his head, “It’s not nice to spy on people like that, you know.” 

Jimin glares over at Yoongi as he brushes off the dirt smeared on Namjoon’s suit, “You do it all the time!” 

“It’s my job to. You should be thankful.” 

An all-knowing smile appears on Yoongi’s face as Jimin and Namjoon both blush. They have everything to thank Yoongi for (‘everything’ here being each other). Namjoon says a quiet thanks to Jimin as he steps forward into the clearing with him. Jimin smiles cheerily at the blushing boy in the robes, “Hello!” The boy smiles and waves. Yoongi gestures for the married couple to sit before scooting closer to the elegantly dressed boy. 

“This is Hoseok. He’s from the planet below, sent as…,” he turns to Hoseok and asks something in Narhokian. Hoseok responds in a hushed voice, almost in annoyance. Yoongi turns back to the pair, changing language mostly for Namjoon’s sake, “... an ‘appreciative offering’.” Jimin cringes as he glances at Hoseok, pouting a bit. Yoongi nods, “I offered to give him the means to leave this place and go wherever he likes but he’s accepted his fate.” He frowns, “Sad, huh?” Namjoon nods, mirroring Jimin before reaching towards one of the platters and helping himself to the fruit on it. 

“Is that the only reason he’s staying?,” Jimin takes the bits of fruit Namjoon offers to him as he talks. Yoongi adjusts his hat to try and distract from the slight tint of pink on his cheeks. 

“Well, we’ve… taken a liking to each other.” 

Namjoon grins and Jimin smirks, “Is that so?” 

Jimin turns to Hoseok and begins chattering in his language excitedly. From the look on Hoseok’s face and the way it gradually turns a bright shade of red, Namjoon can only assume Jimin is teasing him about his relationship with the oracle. 

Yoongi waves a hand between the two, “Can it, Jiminie!” 

Jimin pulls away to sit beside Namjoon, giggling. Namjoon leans down to press a kiss to Jimin’s cheek before whispering, “What was all that about?” Jimin grins and pulls one of Namjoon’s arms around himself, the one that isn’t occupied grabbing food. 

“Just telling our new friend, Hoseokie, all about our dear oracle.” 

Namjoon chuckles and shakes his head. Yoongi tries to glare at Jimin while trying to hide the smile on his face but fails for the most part. Hoseok speaks up, looking between Yoongi and Jimin with a pensive expression on his face. Yoongi opens his mouth but is interrupted by Jimin as he responds to whatever Hoseok asked. Namjoon catches his name in the conversation and smiles a bit as Jimin pats his chest. He smiles and raises a hand in greeting as Hoseok turns to look at him with a smile on his face. It’s then that he notices Hoseok’s grey-blue eyes and his eyes widen a bit in fascination. 

Yoongi leans back with a fond expression on his face as he gazes at Hoseok while he talks to Jimin, who in turn acts as a translator between him and Namjoon. Hoseok quiets as Jimin begins the tale of how he and Namjoon got together. Jimin once again translates to Namjoon with sign language as he simultaneously recounts their story to Hoseok. Jimin starts with himself, explaining how he was one of the best warriors back on his home planet, Lajimor. He was assigned to many missions before he found out how corrupt the military on his planet was, laying waste to innocent people under the guise of justice. He left and became a vigilante. 

“Space pirate,” Namjoon adds in with a chuckle. Jimin rolls his eyes and gestures at Namjoon as he tells Hoseok about how he was a Terran astronaut in a new program testing out spaceships. Namjoon was simply going to board the ships and record data as the flights progressed. Something failed on the last ship he boarded and it had to be abandoned. Namjoon’s escape pod malfunctioned and instead of returning him to Terra, went in the opposite direction, into the cold vacuum of space. His distress beacon was on continuously for the numerous rotations that he was out there, in the middle of nowhere. As it happens, Jimin was on the run from the Intergalactic Guard and happened upon the tiny escape pod with a Terran on the brink of death within it. Jimin saved him. They didn’t understand each other then, having to communicate purely through hand gestures. Slowly they learned the universal language together. 

Jimin smiles with a dreamy look in his eyes, “The language of love.” 

Namjoon snorts and shakes his head, “Imperial-K is the universal language, Minie.” 

“Shush” 

“We spent many spans together until we decided to head our separate ways. Jimin to embark on more missions and me to return home to Terra. He was acting hard to get.” 

Hoseok’s eyes widen as Jimin laughs and hits Namjoon’s arm. 

“But that’s when a certain oracle comes into the story. I had a problem with the ship, a broken navigation system. I was on a set course straight towards a black hole. Yoongi was watching and well, Jimin saved me again.” 

Jimin cuddles closer to Namjoon, “And the rest is history… We got together after I almost lost the most precious being in the universe.” 

Namjoon smiles fondly down at Jimin. Hoseok sniffles and wipes his eyes. He says something and Jimin translates, “He says it’s very sweet, our story.” 

Yoongi smiles a bit and wraps an arm around Hoseok’s shoulders before turning to look at the married pair, “You’re welcome, by the way.” 

Jimin kicks out a leg to get at Yoongi, who chuckles when his leg doesn’t quite reach him. 

“As much as I like having y’all as company though I have to ask: why are you here?” 

“We need your help,” Namjoon says before Jimin cuts in, “We have reason to believe that the object in the prophecy you told us will be on Momoda in that tourist trap system.” 

Namjoon nods, “It’s going to be at the Party of Destiny event and well, the tickets are pretty expensive.” 

Yoongi watches Namjoon and Jimin with a contemplative expression, nodding a bit. 

“Ok.” 

Jimin quirks an eyebrow, “Ok?” 

Yoongi nods, “Ok.” 

He stands as Jimin pouts, making his already full lips look even plumper.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he demands, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Yoongi holds out a hand to Hoseok, helping him to his feet, “We’re coming with you. Seok-Seok wanted to go and meet all the celebrities, and now we have a ride.” Yoongi relays this to Hoseok who was looking at all of them in confusion and he bursts into a wide smile, hopping up and down excitedly. Yoongi smiles a gummy smile as he watches him. 

Namjoon smiles and Jimin tilts his head and shrugs, “Well, alright. Let’s get going. We’ll get there on time, right, Joonie?” Namjoon nods. 

Yoongi pulls ahead of them with Hoseok in tow, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go go go!” 

Namjoon and Jimin watch the pair disappear into the greenery. They turn to look at each other, smiling. 

“Here goes nothing.” 

Jimin nods and leans up to peck Namjoon on the lips before he puts on his helmet. They walk through, following Yoongi and Hoseok’s voices. 

Ahead they see Yoongi helping Hoseok into a space suit similar to Namjoon’s. He snaps his fingers and a helmet appears over Hoseok’s head, “There. Let’s go, Hobi.” Hoseok takes Yoongi’s hand as he leads him into the dark passageway that leads back to the surface. Namjoon and Jimin exchange knowing looks before hurrying to keep up, leaving behind the oracle’s safe haven.

~~~

Taeyong feels hands on his shoulders shaking him and a voice calling out to him though it sounds distant and distorted as if water is filling his ears. His mind vaguely registers the fact that he seems to be lying down instead of sitting up as he was when he shut down. He opens his eyes slowly, a bright light overhead making it hard to see. He squints and blinks until his eyes come into focus, taking in the white spotless ceiling. 

The hands upon him stop their rough actions and he turns his head to look at who it was. His heart nearly leaps out of his chest as he sees his creator beside him… but he looks different… His hair is disheveled, a pair of glasses and dark circles alike decorate his eyes as if he hasn’t slept in ages. A soiled lab coat hangs from his frame over a turtleneck and dark pants. 

“Taeyong.” 

His voice brings his attention back to his face, marred with … concern? He slowly sits up and begins to open his mouth to speak when he’s unexpectedly being engulfed in a hug. His creator is hugging him! His master is hugging him! Ten? Ten!? 

He freezes up initially but when his creator doesn’t let up, he reciprocates. Cautiously he wraps his arms around him. When Ten doesn’t make a move to discipline him, he hugs him tighter and takes advantage of the proximity to press his face to his shoulder. The moment ends all too soon as Ten pulls away, holding Taeyong back at arm’s length with his hands firmly on his shoulders. There are tears in his eyes and a smile on his lips. 

“Taeyong, I… I missed you… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” 

Taeyong opens his mouth but instead of saying what’s on his mind (“Master, I’m ok”) he says, “... Who are you?” 

The smile drops from Ten’s face and a single tear runs down his cheek. 

He didn’t mean to say that! His vision cuts out and everything fades to black. He looks around in the dark but can’t see anything. He feels panic bubbling in his chest and terror makes pain pulsate in the back of his head. He blinks rapidly in an attempt to see. 

He hears a deafening blast to his left. Seconds after it goes off, he sees himself sitting upon a bed in a room he doesn’t recognize… yet the shelves of vintage discs in the corner and music posters along the walls seem strangely familiar… 

His body acts before he can process what’s going on. He kicks off the blankets and runs for the door, realizing in horror that he has no control over his body. He leaps through the open doorway and hangs onto the frame, using it and his momentum to practically launch himself down the dimly lit hall to the orange glowing room ahead. He bursts into the room and takes in the counters filled with lab equipment and gadgets. Flames feed off of them and increase in intensity as they ravage through the room, beginning to fill it with smoke. He coughs as the smoke begins to seep into his lungs… he has lungs?! 

He runs through the fire and finds his creator, lying unconsciously against the far wall. He grabs him, cradling him in his arms bridal style as he turns around to find a way out. His eyes dart from side to side and he spots a way through. Quickly he jumps into action, running through the flames which have started sweeping through the rest of the building. An alarm sounds as he stops in the living room that’s up in flames. The door is blocked off and if he doesn’t get his master out immediately, he will die to the smoke in his respiratory system. 

The shrillness of the alarm is blaring in his ears as he runs towards the window, the only way to escape the fire. He leaps and breaks through with his side, shielding his creator from the glass. They fall fast, faster and Taeyong twists in the air like a cat as the ground nears. His feet meet the pavement first and the shock of the landing jolts through his body. He falls forward onto his elbows to keep from dropping his creator as the skeleton of his legs and feet cracks and breaks. He ignores the warning bells in his systemic mind of leg failures as he begins to perform CPR on his creator. 

After a few moments, he coughs and hacks, curling in on himself. Ten’s eyes are wild and frantic as he looks around before turning to Taeyong. He smiles and opens his mouth but instead of saying what’s on his mind (“Master, are you ok?”) he says, “Ten, it’s ok.” 

He didn’t mean to say that either! 

His creator looks at the state of Taeyong’s body, the glass embedded in his neck and shoulder, his legs bent out of shape, and the skin ripped from his feet, revealing the broken endoskeleton underneath. He looks up into Taeyong’s eyes and presses a dainty hand to his cheek, “Taeyong…I-” 

His vision once again cuts out and he yells in frustration and bewilderment. He doesn’t know what’s happening and these new images of his creator are conflicting with what he knows. He floats in the darkness until he feels himself falling, falling, falling. His stomach drops and fear paralyzes his body. Images flash before his eyes as he falls. Spending time with Johnny, becoming infatuated with music, reading stories of love and happy endings, spending time with Mark, making a song, sparring with his creator, taking hits for him left and right on missions, listening to his quiet cries when he thinks no one’s listening, wiping away the tears on his face as he cries in his sleep… 

He squeezes his eyes shut tight and then opens them. He’s back where he was, back in Mark’s hideout. Before him sits Mark, wide-eyed, clearly concerned. He feels a wet sensation on his cheek and slowly moves a hand up to brush it off. As he pulls his hand away, his gaze is drawn to his fingers, to the salty watery tear on it. 

“Taeyong?” 

He looks at Mark, shaken to the core, “What was that? What were those things I saw?” 

Mark places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes comfortingly, “They were memories. Your memories back from when you were first created to your last reset...” 

Taeyong blinks and shakes his head, “I don’t understand…” 

“I can’t explain what they mean… you have to find out what your true purpose is. It isn’t just to protect Ten.” 

They both turn around when they hear Donghyuck’s loud laughter coming close. Mark whispers quickly, “Johnny can help you. He’s known Ten the longest. Don’t let him reset you again!” 

Taeyong shakes his head, even more confused than before. How does Mark have these memories that belong to him? Is that why his creator would reset him? But why? Why does he feel this way about him? What’s the truth? Who the hell am I? His anguished reverie comes to a halt as he hears his creator’s voice. 

“Alright, I’m done. Taeyong, let’s go.” 

Taeyong stands and turns to see his drastically different creator. His raven hair is now silvery purple and blue, a metallic shirt hangs off his shoulders, and leather pants hug his legs. He looks… amazing. Haechan dashes in front of Ten, “Wait, Taeyong needs an outfit too!” 

“Just get him a white dress shirt and slacks.” 

Haechan grins and runs off to where he came from. Ten turns to Mark, who’s fiddling with his holographic phone. 

“You got anything else for me? Or was that it?” 

Mark shakes his head as he flicks the phone away. The table before him is turned around to display the original holographic tabletop. He smirks, “Your Weishen V buddies will be there.” 

Ten sighs, “Just another inconvenience to add to my list.” 

Mark chuckles as Haechan returns with Taeyong’s clothes folded neatly in his arms. He places the clothes in Taeyong’s hands, “Here you go, sweetie. There’s a special necklace in there for you too.” Taeyong smiles and fights the urge to giggle as Haechan grabs his cheeks, getting on his tippy toes to kiss his forehead. 

“Step away from the android, Donghyuck.” 

Haechan steps away, smirking as he turns to look at Ten. Ten shakes his head and glances at Mark, “Thank you for the intel.” 

Mark nods and waves a bit, “See you!” 

Ten smiles and turns around, making his way to the door with Taeyong following close behind him. 

Once they’re back on the ship and headed towards Momoda, Ten instructs Taeyong to change in his room while he goes to talk with Johnny and Taeil. Taeyong undresses quickly and begins putting on his slacks that are a bit baggy, he notes. He’s buttoning up his shirt when his creator walks in. 

“Are you done?” 

Taeyong looks over and nods, “Yes, master.” 

Ten looks him over and steps closer. Taeyong tries not to stare at him and averts his gaze as Ten undoes the top buttons of his shirt to expose his collarbones and chest a bit. 

“Where’s your necklace?” 

Taeyong reaches a hand in his pocket and draws out the gold choker necklace Haechan gave him. Ten takes it and reaches his hands around Taeyong’s neck to clasp it in place. Taeyong’s breath hitches at their proximity, glancing down at his creator’s pretty face. Ten adjusts his necklace and collar. He lets his hands linger over his shoulders before looking up into Taeyong’s eyes. They stare at each other for a moment in contemplative silence. Taeyong sees hope and a glint of something he doesn’t quite recognize in his creator’s eyes. Ten sees admiration and wonder in the android’s eyes. It reminds him of something he thought he’d left behind a long time ago, and then he’s stepping away. 

“I’m going to get ready. You should too.” 

Ten walks over to the desk in the room, where his bag full of gear waits, “You’re dismissed.” 

“Thank you, master,” Taeyong quickly walks out and stops just outside Ten’s door before exhaling and smiling to himself. 

Woah! 

He remembers what Mark told him and goes to seek out Johnny. He finds him once again on the stargazing deck. This time he is by himself. 

“Johnny?” 

Johnny turns around when the light from the hall shines into the room momentarily, “Hi.” 

Taeyong strides over and sits beside him. 

“I need your help.” 

“Oh? Do you need help accessing the archives again?” 

Taeyong shakes his head and looks up at Johnny, “I remember things… things from when I was created but I don’t understand them. Can you help me?” 

Johnny’s eyebrows arch up slightly before he nods, a soft smile on his face.

~~~

“There’s a transmission coming in. It’s V.” 

“Put him on the big screen.” 

Jimin puts the ship on autopilot as Namjoon flicks the video call screen towards the main display from which Jimin navigates. After a small timbre, a shaggy-haired Taehyung appears. Behind him is his art studio turned laboratory. 

“Tae!” 

“Jimin!” 

Taehyung smiles wide and tucks his dark brown bangs behind his ear. 

“Hi, Tae.” 

Taehyung looks behind Jimin and waves at Namjoon, “Hi, Namjoon!” 

Jimin smiles at his friend, “Getting ready for the party?” 

Taehyung nods. “Jin is going to come and pick me up in a bit. I still have to get ready, see?” he muses as he ruffles his own hair. They both giggle and Namjoon smiles. 

“You should put it up again. One last time before you go get a haircut.” 

Taehyung pouts, “I’m not going to cut it this time.” 

Jimin quirks an eyebrow and smirks, “You said that last time.” 

“This time is different!” 

“Sureeeeeeeeee.” 

“It is!” 

“Whatever you say, Tae.” 

Taehyung pouts and makes literal puppy eyes at the screen. 

“Stop that. It’s too cute.” 

Taehyung smiles victoriously and Jimin rolls his eyes good-naturedly, “So did you call just to say ‘hi’?” 

“Oh!” Taehyung straightens up and sets his face in a serious expression as he remembers why he called in the first place. “I intercepted a message!” Namjoon and Jimin glance at each other and then look at Taehyung. 

“What was it, Tae?,” Namjoon speaks up. 

“It’s a short message and it’s heavily encrypted. I’ve been trying to decipher it for a few hours now…,” his eyebrows furrow in frustration, “I wasn’t able to trace it to anyone or anything anywhere and the message isn’t completely transliterated but it does mention an object or energy of unimaginable power!” Taehyung makes wide gestures with his hands as he talks before turning around and pulling scrolls close and into the view of the camera, “This object slash power that is mentioned isn’t present in any of the current archives, which is crazy you know because everything and anything that any sentient being in the present and since the beginning of time has ever created or done etcetera etcetera has been recorded in the archives, even before intergalactic communication and space travel.” Taehyung pushes his hair out of his face again, “Basically what I’m trying to say is, anything that has ever existed at one point or another has been recorded in the archives and this.. this… this thing! is nonexistent as far as the archives are concerned.” Taehyung exhales and then puffs out his chest, smiling, “Luckily, I am prolific in those items that have tried to make themselves lost to time and the archives. These scrolls you see here are all in languages that have long died out, and they hold the answer to what this mystery artifact is.” 

Namjoon leans forward, trying to make out what the scrolls are even though nothing is legible from the angle that Taehyung has them in. Jimin looks at Taehyung expectantly, “Well, what is it?” 

Taehyung smiles and leans his elbows on the table, propping his chin on his hands. 

“I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?! You told us all that for nothing?!” 

Namjoon puts a hand on Jimin’s shoulder as he fumes, “Tae, could you turn those around so I can see?” 

“Sure thing, Joon!” 

Taehyung picks up the cam and angles it towards the open scrolls. Namjoon stands and looks over the cryptic writing. Jimin taps his fingers against the armrests of his seat, clearly upset, “Tae, how do you not know what it is but do know that these fart old scrolls know what it is?” 

Taehyung’s voice is heard from behind the cam, “I said I’m an expert in artifacts omitted from the archives not an expert of boring dead languages.” 

Jimin sighs loudly before Namjoon whispers, “I know this.” 

Jimin glances up at Namjoon, “What was that, babe?” 

“I can translate this.” 

Jimin sits up, “Can you?!” 

Namjoon nods, “I used to study linguistics before I chose to become an astronaut.” 

Jimin smiles wide, eyes scrunching up, “You’re so cool!” 

Namjoon smiles, “Taehyung, do you think you could send me holo-copies of these?” 

“Doing it as we speak, captain!” 

Namjoon grins, “Thank you.” 

Jimin smiles as the cam returns to show Taehyung, “Thank you, Tae. Will you let us know what the rest of the message says once you’ve deciphered it?” 

“Totes! What are friends for? See you at the party! Bye!” 

“Bye!” 

Jimin waves and then ends the transmission. Namjoon returns to his seat and begins the tedious work of going over the copies Taehyung sends and deciphering them. Jimin stands and walks over to kiss Namjoon on the cheek. 

“Need anything, Joonie?” 

“Some music would be nice.” 

Jimin smiles and nods, “Good call.” He slides back into his own seat and presses play on “Minimonie’s Mix”. They smile as the first thumps of Terran bass and groovy Alien tunes flow from the speakers and fill the room. Namjoon works in silence, concentrated as he pores over texts and cross-references with different ones found in the archives. Jimin pilots the ship, occasionally walking out and returning with coffee for his husband. 

It takes three refills and about 20 songs later for him to find what he’s looking for, “I got it!” Jimin twists around in his seat to look at Namjoon. His white hair is untidy from his hands running through it every few minutes, coffee stains decorate his shirt, and Twinkie cream and crumbs stick stubbornly to his cheek right over a dimple. 

Jimin smiles and stands, wiping away the sweets from his cheek. Namjoon smiles excitedly up at Jimin. “I’ve got it, Minie.” Jimin sits on his lap and leans back against him, “Shoot.” 

Namjoon kisses the top of his pink-haired head and gestures at his screen, displaying images and text from the scrolls, as he talks. 

“So this object is really an orb of ancient power. It’s been around since the first beings began to evolve and crawl on their respective planets. This orb was found by an ancient tribe on the planet Seoxitan, known today as Momoda. This tribe no longer exists. They perished when another species of alien came onto the planet. Interesting fact: that’s also the first recorded instance of interplanetary travel in the archives. Anyway, up until then, this tribe worshipped the orb. They saw it as their deity and it was even believed that the orb communicated with its people. They named it “Anatsam”, that’s a rough translation mind you, and it was said to hold the power to change the weather, heal ailments, and even bring life back into a dead being.” Jimin’s eyes widen and Namjoon shakes his head, “There are no actual testaments of this happening in the scrolls though. It was described as glowing like the very heart of a star one day and then the next as quiet and smooth as a pebble under rushing water...” 

“Wait wait wait, so if this orb actually had that kind of power, why isn’t it being held somewhere or used by someone? So many would like something of this nature, for good and for dishonorable acts.” 

“Well, you see, the orb stayed with this tribe up until a few revolutions before they were violently displaced… The scrolls simply described it as disappearing. It was there in the temple one day and the next it was gone. They thought it was stolen and the scrolls describe a prophecy of it returning to them someday, but…,” he shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck, “The scrolls narrative over Anatsam ends there. I looked into the archives for any occurrences of weird orbs from 300 JG to today. There was only a handful of articles and in difficult dialects that I had to spend a little more time tweaking into the transliterator. The times Anatsam has appeared have been completely at random and in varying parts of the universe. One being was able to contain it for a short while back when Terra was beginning to fight stupid wars over differences in cultures and skin tones, when Lajimor began the practice of patriarchalism towards affairs of conflict. They referred to Anatsam as the 7th element.” 

Jimin frowns a bit at the odd name, “And what did this being find?” 

“Not much. They couldn’t study it as well as you might hope, having few tools but from extensive study theorized that the orb had some sort of interdimensional transitory ability.” 

Jimin looks up at Namjoon, “You mean to tell me this ancient ball wasn’t actually healing people left and right and making it rain and was really just changing reality?” 

Namjoon shrugs and reaches for the unfinished Twinkie on his desk. Jimin grabs it and holds it away. Namjoon pouts at him. 

“That’s what they theorized up until it disappeared again. Now it’s back where it first appeared on Momoda in the GOT7 resort which I assume is where its temple was.” 

“Woah…,” Jimin gives Namjoon his Twinkie back and kisses him sweetly, “I’m so proud of you.” Namjoon smiles cutely before stuffing the Twinkie in his mouth. 

“We’ve still got a ways to go before we get there. Go ahead and rest before we have to get ready.” 

Jimin stands and returns to his seat. Namjoon stands and stretches, rolling his shoulders.

“Where are Yoongi and Hoseok?” 

“In one of the sleeping compartments, hopefully sleeping.” 

Namjoon chuckles. 

“I’ll wake you in a bit.” 

“Ok, love you.” 

“I love you too.” 

Namjoon steps out and Jimin starts the music up once again as he continues to pilot the ship.

~~~

Ten crosses his arms over his chest as he watches Johnny and Taeyong come down the hall from where the stargazing deck is. He was waiting for the ship to land and heard laughter from that direction, answering his question of the whereabouts of his android. Johnny has an arm around his shoulders (though really it looks like he has him in a headlock) and Taeyong is grinning with an arm wrapped loosely around Johnny’s waist. Ten shifts his weight and drums his fingers against his arm. Taeyong’s gaze drifts from Johnny’s face to Ten’s and his smile fades almost immediately. He pulls himself away from Johnny and walks over to his master. 

Ten looks at him for a second and then towards Johnny, who’s already turned around and helping Taeil as he steps out of his room. Ten watches a small smile decorate Johnny’s face as he holds Taeil’s hand. They look nice together. Johnny in his light gray suit with his long hair let down and brushed to the side and Taeil in his dark purple long chiffon dress, minimal makeup on, and hair brushed back to show off the intricate feather design of his undercut. They seem to be lost in each other’s eyes as they whisper to each other and Ten is growing tired of it. 

He clears his throat, drawing their eyes to him, “If you’re both done acting like juvenile gouks, I’d like to get to our room already.” 

Taeyong smiles a little as his mind conjures up an image of those adorable gouks with their long fuzzy ears, featureless faces, and reptilian legs. Taeil simply smiles and shakes his head as they walk closer, “I got you and Taeyong a separate room for one night.” 

Ten’s phone gives off a small chime as he receives the tickets for himself and the android. Taeil raises his chin and links his arm with Johnny’s as they step into the airlock, giving off an air of royalty. Ten gestures for Taeyong to carry the duffel bag-like suitcase he had at his feet before following the couple, “We’ll be gone come morning.” Ten can already hear the music playing just outside the ship’s door and can even feel the vibrations of it underfoot. 

The door hisses as it slides open into the small docking room. There’s an attendant ready there, black uniform clean and pressed, and smiling impossibly wide as they walk off the ship. The room they’re in is nicely decorated, designed like the rest of the resort, and sealed off from the hotel by two glass panes. The attendant offers greetings in Imperial K before asking for their tickets. 

Once they’re checked off, the attendant gives them all (save for Taeyong) a small jelly-like green pill. Taeyong watches with wide eyes as Johnny, Taeil, and even his master eat the small capsule without so much as blinking an eye. He then turns to the attendant, looking down at the small bowl he holds of the pills like a child would a display full of candies. The attendant sets the bowl down on his counter and wishes them a pleasant stay as the glass panes slide open, allowing them access into the resort. Johnny and Taeil walk ahead with Ten behind them. Taeyong reaches a hand for the bowl discreetly but comes to a halt when his master calls out, “You don’t need that. Come on, Taeyong.” Taeyong pouts and walks towards him, quickening his pace to keep up given the added weight of the bag he carries in one hand. 

“Master.” 

Ten hums in acknowledgment as they make their way through a corridor that leads to the lobby. 

“What was that green jelly?” 

“It’s a special capsule that allows anyone that takes it to breathe easily in the atmosphere of this planet. Some beings are used to a very chemically different environment, the pill allows them to be on this planet without the use of helmets or special gear.” 

Taeyong’s eyes widen, “Woah, how does it work?” 

Ten shakes his head a bit in annoyance and waves a hand, “Find out in the archives. It’s a long process yet it works instantly. Crazy, huh?” Taeyong nods slowly as he walks along beside Ten. 

The music grows louder as they near the lobby. It’s full of heavy bass and groovy melodies that urge the listener to throw all worries to the wind and just move. Taeyong’s grip on the bag tightens as he tries not to let the infectious music move him. He nearly drops the bag when they finally get to the lobby. 

It was a short walk but anticipation made it seem so long and wow, wow... It’s a wide space with 4 tall pillars lining the main walkway towards the long stone counter at the end. Bioluminescent plants line the pillars and seem to glow in turn with the music. Flashing and strobing in time with every beat, following the rhythm. The colors from the plants, however, are just accents to the natural light shining in from the skylights, making the polished stone and metal making up the building seem even more luminous. To and fro go attendants and different persons of all sorts of species and planets and galaxies. 

Before they can even begin to make their way through the crowd and towards the elevators, three bodyguards come forward acting as escorts for Johnny and Taeil. Johnny glances back at Ten and Taeyong. Ten gestures for him to go, “We’ll catch up with you later.” Johnny smiles a bit and then walks along beside Taeil escorted by the bodyguards as the hotel attendees notice the famous singer and begin to almost mob him. Taeyong watches them go concerned before he feels an elbow in his side. 

“Come on,” Ten leads Taeyong towards a staircase that curves to the second floor. They make their way up till they come upon another set of elevators and then they’re in their room on the 8th floor. The room itself is nice, incredibly nice or so Taeyong thinks. It has an orange and cream color scheme to it. The bed is pressed against the left wall and sitting on a large white rug, contrasting with the canary yellow marble of the floor. He frowns a bit when he sees that this room has no balcony. 

“Bring the bag here, Taeyong.” 

Taeyong’s gaze is drawn to Ten, who’s sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at him expectantly. Taeyong walks over and places the bag beside him. Ten opens it up and begins pulling out the parts of his disassembled T’skorr and a small velvet knapsack, setting them out gently on the orange covers. Ten gestures for Taeyong to set the bag aside and lays down among the segments of his gun once it has been removed. Ten closes his eyes but he can feel Taeyong staring at him and he remembers, “Taeyong, what were you doing with Johnny before we arrived?” 

“Nothing.” 

“It didn’t sound like nothing.” 

Taeyong isn’t programmed to lie to him and he hasn’t done it before so Ten is surprised, to say the least when he peaks an eye open and sees Taeyong looking down at his feet and gnawing on his lip. 

“Taeyong.” 

The android looks up and at him. There’s something in his expression that Ten can’t quite place… as if he knows something. As to what it is, Ten doesn’t have a clue but he doesn’t let it worry him too much. Usually, he’d reset him but after this last mission, he will no longer need to. He sighs a bit and lays his head back, interlacing his fingers behind his head, “I’m going to rest a bit. Go make yourself useful but meet me here once the main concert begins.” 

“Yes, master.” 

Ten closes his eyes and listens as the android walks out, closing the door behind him. Taeyong makes sure the door closes with a soft click. He stares down at the knob, wondering if maybe he should have stayed in the room until he hears the faint sound of music coming from below. He looks up and down the cerise red hall before making his way to the gold elevators. 

Downstairs the music is louder and he follows it to its source at the back of the resort where the beaches lie. The smile on his face grows by the second as he spots the small stage from where a disc jockey is playing music and waving their arms in tandem with the beat, getting the small crowd below to do the same. Laughter draws his attention to a pool full of people, swimming and having fun in the purple water. There are so many beings here. It’s a bit dizzying and he finds himself freezing up, standing there among all the noise. 

He feels a hand practically envelope his shoulder and he glances back to see Johnny, dressed down to slacks and a dress shirt. Johnny smiles, “What you doing out here, bud?” 

“Master said to make myself useful, but I heard the music.” 

“It’s good, right?” 

Taeyong nods before noticing the lack of a small pretty singer, “Where is Taeil?” 

“He’s in our room, getting ready for later.” 

“Oh,” Taeyong turns around when another groovy song begins to play and Johnny grins at the small action. 

“Taeyong” 

“Hm?” 

“Wanna have some fun?” 

Taeyong looks back up at Johnny, uncertainty in his eyes. Johnny pats his back, “Come on!” He takes hold of Taeyong’s hand and pulls him towards the dancing mass near the music. Taeyong stands still at first, glancing around at the other dancing beings before Johnny grabs his shoulders and shakes him as he dances, hopping up and down. Taeyong snorts and laughs before joining in, flailing his limbs about to the ridiculously contagious music. 

Once Johnny has worked up a light sweat, he takes Taeyong’s hand again and leads him away from the crowd and down white stone steps, taking two at a time till their dress shoes sink into light blue sand. Taeyong looks around, jaw slack in awe of the sheer beauty of it all. Johnny smiles and draws out a pair of sunglasses from his shirt pocket, putting them on before he’s being yanked forward towards the purple lapping waters. He grins as Taeyong drags him along excitedly like a puppy. He laughs when Taeyong turns around to look at him, pointing a finger out towards the ocean like a kid witnessing their first meteor shower. 

Johnny lets him admire it, standing back a bit before a colorful disc glides through the air and lands at Taeyong’s feet. Taeyong looks down at the disk and towards the group of beings waving their arms over their head, asking for him to pass it back. Taeyong leans down and picks it up, glancing at Johnny uneasy. Johnny encourages him and then Taeyong is flinging the disk back. It glides smoothly through the air towards the owners and the beings shout their thanks. Taeyong watches them for a few more moments, smiling softly before Johnny shoves his arm hard enough for him to stumble forward, “You’re it!” 

Taeyong turns around in surprise, watching Johnny’s huge figure take off back towards the hotel. Taeyong laughs and runs after him, catching him in the lobby. He grins and giggles as he turns and vaults over a small barrier onto the stairs and down one of the many halls as Johnny gives chase. He hears Johnny yelling behind him and catching up, cornering him on a stairwell. He laughs breathlessly as Johnny approaches him slowly with a growing smile on his face. Taeyong smirks as he takes one step towards Johnny and then with the next leaps over him and lands behind him as gracefully as a cat. 

“That’s not fair!” 

Taeyong grins as he takes off back down the hall. He slows and stops on a balcony overlooking the lobby when he can no longer hear Johnny. Below he sees it’s still as busy as ever, but among the beings, he spots two, a couple near the front desk. They’re smiling at each other and holding hands. One says something that causes the other to smile wider and press closer. He thinks it’s sweet, it’s something he… wants. 

He glances sideways when Johnny comes up beside him, a bit out of breath. 

“Remind me never to race an android again.” 

Taeyong smiles slightly. Johnny notices, “What’s the matter?” Taeyong shakes his head, wordlessly. Johnny follows his gaze down to the couple checking in below before smirking. 

“Hey, T, let me give you some life-saving tips.” 

Taeyong quirks an eyebrow as Johnny leads him downstairs to the bar on the first floor, fully intent on showing Taeyong how to master the art of flirting. Johnny regrets that decision after one drink has Taeyong clinging to his arm like a monkey, a drunk cuddly monkey. (Well, Taeyong isn’t really drunk but he’s not about to tell Johnny that.)

~~~

Namjoon smiles as he walks along beside Jimin behind Yoongi and Hoseok in the grand lobby of the GOT7 resort. They’re dressed in classy suits (that Yoongi procured) while the oracle and Hoseok decided on floral print shirts and shorts being more appropriate attire. They’re all being escorted by a concierge as they show them the various facilities. Namjoon looks at everything slack-jawed. He leans down to whisper in Jimin’s ear, “This is literally way nicer than anything we have on Terra.” Jimin giggles and clings to Namjoon’s arm, earning them looks from Yoongi and Hoseok. 

It’s when they’re passing by the bar and headed towards the elevator that Jimin’s grip on Namjoon’s arm tightens enough for him to notice and glance down at him. Jimin’s still smiling radiantly but Namjoon can tell something’s the matter. The concierge takes Yoongi and Hoseok to their room and then Jimin and Namjoon to theirs, both on the 5th floor. 

Jimin bounces as he throws himself onto the bed within the lavender and white room, smiling wide. Namjoon smiles and lays down on his stomach beside him, “What’d you see downstairs?” Jimin turns to look at Namjoon, serious. 

“That one mercenary’s android with Moon Taeil’s fiance. In the bar.” 

“That one mercenary’s android?” 

Jimin stretches an arm up to cradle his head and cocks an eyebrow at Namjoon. Namjoon looks up, thinking hard before realization dawns over him, “Oh! That mercenary!” Jimin nods and continues to look into his husband’s features: eyes downward, eyebrows furrowed, and jaw clenched in a way that makes his heart quicken. 

“What does Ten want with Anatsam?” 

Jimin shrugs and stretches his arms above his head, “I don’t know. Probably wants to sell it… or use it. Either way, we cannot let him get a hold of it.” 

“Right…,” Namjoon looks down at the white covers and traces a finger over the soft fabric, deep in thought. Jimin presses a finger to his forehead and smiles wide when he looks up to meet his gaze. 

“We’re going to get to Anatsam first and turn it into the proper authorities.” Jimin parrots part of Yoongi’s prophecy, “‘The relic appears at the height of emotion, donning mirrors.” Namjoon continues to draw patterns into the bed. 

“We never figured out that last bit... The mirrors” 

Jimin places a hand on Namjoon’s cheek, stroking a thumb over his tan skin before pinching it, “It’s too late to be worrying about that now. Let’s focus, ok?” 

Namjoon nods a bit, turning his face to get his poor cheek out of the hold of his stout fingers. Jimin giggles when Namjoon crawls closer, propping himself over him with his elbows on either side of his shoulders. He places his hands on Namjoon’s shoulders and leans up to kiss his chin, his lips, and then his nose. Namjoon smiles, “So...” 

“So?” 

“This galaxy isn’t too far from the Milky Way. Maybe we could stop at Terra for a couple of days?” 

Jimin frowns. 

“After we get Anatsam and turn it in! Then we can just relax for a few rotations there?” 

When Jimin remains quiet, Namjoon kisses his cheeks, “Don’t you want to see where I grew up? Meet my parents?” Jimin looks up into Namjoon’s eager eyes and feels guilty. 

Once they got together, Namjoon became Jimin’s partner for all the missions he took up. They got married after an incident on Jimin’s home planet where they almost lost their lives. They’re the best at what they do (that is, stopping villains and protecting those who can’t protect themselves) but not once since they’ve been together has Namjoon gotten the opportunity to return to his planet. They’ve been so busy… 

“Of course, I want to.” 

“So then we’ll go?” 

“If all goes well here.” 

Namjoon smiles so hard his dimples deepen cutely and he presses his face to Jimin’s neck, making him burst into giggles. 

A beep from within Namjoon’s suit coat interrupts them. Namjoon rolls off of Jimin and they both sit up. He draws out a small transparent device, displaying green numbers and letters in quick succession. 

“It’s here, Minie.” 

Jimin slides off the bed, “Alright, you know what to do.” 

They both shed off their suits to reveal their immaculate black bodysuits underneath. Jimin makes sure his favorite pink blaster is holstered on his thigh before following Namjoon out into the hall. 

Outside the sun is setting and the halls are greyish until the lights come on, illuminating their path. They don’t have to worry about drawing attention. Most everyone is downstairs, enjoying the festivities of Jackson Wang’s Party Of Destiny. Namjoon holds the display before his eyes, guiding Jimin down to the 2nd floor. Jimin follows keeping an eye out for the mercenary/android duo until he bumps into Namjoon’s back. He peeks around him to see the wall he’s staring at. 

“What?” 

Namjoon clicks his tongue and looks up, “It says the object’s entry point is a few feet in front of us but this thing’s showing an empty space in the building. There are vents running over it though so maybe we can get in through those.” Jimin nods and looks up before turning around. 

“We passed a grate back there. Come on.” 

Namjoon follows after Jimin and then hoists him up on his shoulders so he can undo the grate and slide into the vent. Namjoon stares up at the black square where his husband disappeared to. 

“Honey, I don’t know if I’m gonna fit through there…” 

Jimin reaches his arms down for him, “You’ll fit, baby. There’s enough space.” 

Namjoon grabs onto Jimin’s arms as he hoists him up. He drags himself in once his torso is within the vent. Jimin crawls forward to give him enough space to slide in and close the grate. Namjoon sweats lightly and grabs the display once again with a bit of a struggle. The vents are big enough for him to crawl through but they leave little leeway for him to move around freely. 

“Alright, if we follow this straight ahead, we’ll be above the room.” 

Jimin nods and then they both begin to crawl forward.

~~~

Taeyong’s long been keeping up the drunk act but he gets the feeling Johnny is beginning to catch on when he demands to be carried to the ballroom and Johnny just looks at him with a dead look in his eyes. Taeyong smiles bashfully and Johnny rolls his eyes before standing from the barstool and making his way out. Taeyong follows like a puppy as they go towards the ballroom where the concert will be. The 4-armed bouncer at the door lets them into the large room. 

There’s a circular stage set up in the center, tables of drinks and snacks along with lounging areas along the walls. The dimmed yellow lights and groovy background music give the place a nice, chill vibe. There’s already a couple of beings walking around, chatting and enjoying themselves. The volume of the music increases, the lights dim further, and the vibrant lights from the stage begin to illuminate the ceiling, illuminating the entire room enough for faces to be made out. 

The main event is about to begin. Steadily more people begin to file into the room, and Taeyong continues to follow Johnny, a bit overwhelmed. Johnny greets a couple of people as he makes his way towards one of the lounge areas. All of them are actors Taeyong recognizes and he tries not to look so awestruck as Johnny greets the likes of Kim Doyoung, Jung Jaehyun, Byun Baekhyun, Zhang Yixing, Kim Seokjin, and Miyauchi Haruka (to name a few because Taeyong is sure he’s gone to heaven at this point). 

He stops trying to fawn so much when Johnny stops to chat with another couple but fails miserably when he sees who it is. Famed model Park Soo-young, otherwise known as “Joy”, and a person he looks up to more than anyone, Kang Seulgi, one of the first androids to make it big on the acting scene. He wonders for a moment if it’d be rude to ask for an autograph before sadly realizing that he doesn’t have anything for her to sign. 

Johnny pats his shoulder to get his attention and leads him away from the couple who’ve started to poke fun at each other. Taeyong sighs internally and follows Johnny as he sits beside a red-haired guy in a suit, drinking a cocktail. Johnny greets him as if he’s a close friend and Taeyong tries to listen in over the music. 

“It’s been a while!” 

“Yeah..” 

“You alright? Usually, you’d be tearing up the dancefloor by now.” 

“I’m ok. There’s just this one issue.” 

“Is the issue a pretty one?” 

“One like you won’t believe! He’s a performer I think? I would go up to him but he’s already turned down like five guys and we don’t even speak the same language…” 

“What’s his name?” 

“Sicheng” 

“You just need a little more liquid courage and maybe a translator.” 

“Yeah.” 

Johnny pats his back, “See ya around, Yuta.” 

“Yeah, see you.” 

Johnny stands and pulls Taeyong close from where he was standing a little aways, “I know Ten is probably waiting for you so go meet up with him. I’m going to stick around here.” 

Taeyong nods and hugs Johnny, “Thank you.” 

Johnny smiles and hugs back, “You’re my friend, no need to thank me” 

Taeyong smiles and looks up at Johnny one last time before hurrying out. He realizes with a pang that his master might be mad at him for taking so long to get to him and rushes to get to the elevators, accidentally bumping against someone on his way. 

The guy stumbles and looks after Taeyong in annoyance. His friends standing nearby, six of them in total, watch the android go too. One of them, tall and built and holding hands with his own android, speaks up, “That’s Ten’s android, Taeyong” The one that nearly got bowled over watches Taeyong step into the elevator. 

“Are you sure, Lucas?” 

“Yeah! Ten designed him since the moment the course began. I’d recognize that face anywhere.” 

“Alright, let’s follow him. Xiaojun, Hendery, you two stay down here and keep an eye out in case he tries to escape.” 

The pair nods. 

“Kun, what about me?!” 

“Stick with your parents, Yangyang, learn from them, ok?” 

Yangyang frowns a little but doesn’t argue as he moves to stand between Xiaojun and Hendery. 

“Let’s get Ten and bring him to justice.” 

They move their separate ways. Kun, Lucas, and his android towards the elevators, and Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang to find a good vantage point in the lobby.

~~~

Namjoon grabs Jimin’s ankle to signal to him that they’re above the empty space in which Anatsam is. They’re both perspiring a bit, having had to crawl through quite a lot of vents. Jimin glances back and nods before drawing out a laser cutter from one of his leg pockets. He cuts out a square in the vent large enough for the both of them to slip out through. The piece falls to the floor below with a clang. 

Light comes into the vent from below and Jimin pokes his head through, searching the room. It’s large, the floor is dommed in the middle and made up of translucent glass, and the lights from below give the room a neon blue glow. Along the floor are various wires and tubing, running to and fro. 

“I don’t see it, Joonie.” 

“It has to be here… Maybe it’s hiding.” 

Jimin twists around and slides out of the vent, landing on his feet with a soft thud that isn’t audible at all with the volume of the music from the ballroom underneath. Jimin looks towards the dome in the middle of the room. He can’t see over it from here and he’ll doubt Namjoon will be able to either, “Sounds like the concert is beginning.”

Namjoon loses his grip on the vent and exclaims as he falls only to land in Jimin’s arms. Namjoon chuckles and breathes out a sigh of relief as Jimin smiles and sets him down on his feet. 

“Thank you.” 

Jimin nods and walks towards one end of the room, looking around. Namjoon takes off the top piece of his bodysuit and ties it around his waist, leaving him in a black undershirt. 

“It’s hot in here.” 

“I think it feels nice.” 

Namjoon gets on his knees and begins drawing out gadgets from his pockets. He sets them out on a space free of wires on the floor and then he starts assembling them together. 

“If this thing works, we’ll be able to see where Anatsam is hiding. Cloak or otherwise.” 

Jimin continues to search around the room for the orb but returns to Namjoon’s side when he finds nothing.

~~~

Ten is pacing the room when Taeyong runs in. He turns around, glaring, “You’re late!” 

Taeyong winces, “I’m sorry, master.” Ten shakes his head in disappointment. 

“I don’t have time for this. Let’s go. You remember where our objective is, correct?” 

“Yes, master.” 

“Lead the way then.” 

Taeyong opens the door once again and is about to step out but stops just in time for a laser blast to pass inches within his face and burn into the door. Ten follows the blast down the hall and grumbles in frustration when he sees Kun and Lucas a few feet away. Kun has his blaster drawn and Lucas stands beside him with a tall, cute looking android at his side. 

“Come out, Ten, and turn yourself in! Don’t make me shoot!” 

Ten rolls his eyes and pats Taeyong’s back, “Disarm and restrain him, Taeyong.” Taeyong steps out and sprints towards Kun. Kun’s eyes-widen and he aims the gun towards Taeyong but he isn’t fast enough. 

Before Taeyong can make it to his target, the android at Lucas’ side dashes in front of him and meets him head-on. The android has the advantage of height over him but Taeyong has experience on his side. Taeyong drops and catches the android around the waist, using his momentum to heft him over his shoulder and throw him off. The android flips over onto his feet and reaches forward to grab Taeyong by his necklace and pull him back. Taeyong is caught by surprise but recovers, using the momentum from the yank to throw himself at the android. They fall to the ground and begin to tussle, trying to pin the other down. 

A blast burns the floor beside them and Lucas yells, “Kun, don’t! You’ll hit Jungwoo!” 

Kun yelps and drops his blaster when a porcelain plate comes flying from down the hall and crashes into his fist. Lucas turns around in time to see Ten dashing towards them, another plate coming towards him and catching him on the side of the head. Lucas grunts and stumbles as Ten leaps and comes crashing down on Kun, pinning him against the floor. 

“You never learn, Kun. I almost feel sorry for you.” 

Kun glares at him and struggles against the wire Ten ties around his torso and arms, “Lucas!” Lucas aims his own blaster at Ten, ready to pull the trigger but a small whimper stops him. He turns around to see Jungwoo pinned against the floor by Taeyong and a laser cannon pressed to the back of his head. 

Jungwoo pouts, teary-eyed, “Xuxi…” 

Lucas turns back to Kun and holsters his gun, “I’m sorry.” Kun glares at him and grumbles under his breath. 

Ten smirks, “Wise choice.” He stands once Kun is completely immobile. Taeyong feels relief flood over him when Ten gestures for him to stand down. He steps off the other android and watches as it stands and runs to cling to Lucas, who takes him into his arms and looks him over, making sure he’s ok. 

“Don’t get too attached to him, Lucas.” 

“He’s my boyfriend,” Lucas states as if treating him any differently would be preposterous. 

“You created him for that sole purpose?” 

Lucas blushes, indignant, “No! He can do whatever he wants. He chose to be with me!” Jungwoo nods, holding onto Lucas tightly. Taeyong tries to hide the surprise on his face. He didn’t know there was actually androids that have relationships with their creators other than familial ones or that between created and creator. 

Ten walks off down the hall, away from them, “Whatever. Don’t follow me if you know what’s good for you. Say hi to Xiaojun and my cousin for me.” Lucas continues to hold the startled Jungwoo in his arms and stroke his back while Taeyong walks past them and follows Ten. 

Once they’re in the elevator Ten crosses his arms over his chest and glances at Taeyong, “Take me to the objective, Taeyong. I’m not wasting any more time.” Taeyong looks at his master. 

“Master.” 

“What?” 

“Why did you make me?” 

Ten sighs, an exasperated look on his face, “You know why.” 

Something inside Taeyong’s mind breaks and he snaps, turning to face his master, “It wasn’t to be your bodyguard, not at first, not when you first created me. Why?” Taeyong knows why. Johnny told him the truth but he wants, no, he needs to hear Ten say it. His master steps off the elevator when it stops on the 2nd floor and Taeyong follows. 

“Ten!” 

Ten whips around fast, moving a hand to the holster on his hip. Taeyong grabs his wrists before he can grab his gun. 

“Just say it… We were supposed to be together… I have feelings for you! … Why did you change your mind?” 

Ten’s eyes widen and he looks on the verge of tears as Taeyong talks but his expression quickly changes back to the mask he wears of anger and disappointment. He jerks his wrists out of Taeyong’s hold and unholsters his gun. 

“Take me to the damn thing. Now.” Ten speaks through gritted teeth, taking aim at Taeyong’s chest. Taeyong looks down at the gun pointed at his chest and then back at Ten. As he walks around him and leads him to the empty space in the building, he decides he’ll get his answers after this mission.

~~~

Namjoon is finishing the gadget when he hears the sound of steel being cut over the music playing below. Jimin looks over to the far wall where the sound is coming from and draws out his blaster. 

“Find Anatsam, Joonie,” he whispers as he walks to the edge of the cover that the dome provides and peeks around the curve. Namjoon finishes putting the machine together as sparks fly from the far wall in a rectangular form. 

The wall cutout falls forward revealing Taeyong and Ten right behind him. Ten steps forward around Taeyong and looks around the room with his gun drawn. Jimin glances back at Namjoon. He’s holding up the device, pointing it at the top of the dome before turning to Jimin and gesturing up. Jimin presses his back to the dome and looks up. He looks around above the dome until his eyes land on a small ball shape that seems to be reflecting its surroundings, successfully blending in and making itself invisible to peering eyes. A-ha! 

From behind the dome, “Grab that orb and bring it here.” 

“Yes…” 

Jimin stands up straight and peeks out from the curve of the dome, taking aim at Ten and firing two rounds as Taeyong walks towards the dome. Taeyong sees the flit of movement from Jimin and quickly steps in the line of fire. The blasts make contact with his chest and burn into his shirt but don’t damage him. 

Ten smirks, “We’ve got companyyyy~ You grab that orb, I’ll take care of our guests.” Taeyong turns back to the dome. Jimin steps out from behind the dome and aims at Taeyong. Ten fires a warning shot that Jimin quickly dodges. 

Namjoon can hear Ten from the other side and runs towards the dome. He knows Jimin can handle himself and begins to climb the side of the dome to get to Anatsam. Jimin and Ten circle each other, guns holstered. 

“I’ve heard about you. You’ve got quite a bounty on your head.” 

“Funny, I’ve never heard of you.” 

Ten smirks when Jimin’s glare deepens. 

“What do you want the orb for? Plan to sell it?” 

“Why sell something you can use?” 

Ten lunges at Jimin as the music below grows louder, shaking the floor beneath their feet. Ten grabs hold of Jimin’s pretty pink blaster and throws it out of reach. He begins to draw his own gun but Jimin gets his hands on it too. Ten struggles, trying to fight it out of Jimin’s hands. Jimin uses all his strength to slam Ten down on the floor and yank the gun out of his hands. Ten gasps as the breath is knocked out of him and Jimin stands over him with his own gun pointed at him. 

Taeyong turns around when he hears his master gasp. His eyes widen when he sees the gun pointed at his immobilized master and reacts fast. He jumps from the dome and lands in front of Jimin, pushing him hard, making him fly back and land on the floor. Jimin grunts in pain and aims the gun at Taeyong’s chest. 

The android steps towards him, anger in his eyes. Jimin frantically holds down the trigger, unloading the mag into Taeyong’s chest. Taeyong springs at Jimin even though that single shot tore through his chest plate and exposed his power core, humming with energy in white and blue light. Jimin scrambles, trying to reload the gun as Taeyong stands above him, raising an arm that’s quickly turning into a laser cannon. Taeyong aims for Jimin’s head and is about to fire when a tall figure appears before him. 

Namjoon was struggling to climb the dome and turned around in time to see Jimin thrown. He quickly ran forward as the hellbent android took aim at his husband. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out whatever his hand came in contact with first. He ends up jamming a Twinkie in the android’s power core. 

Jimin watches as Namjoon is electrocuted and collapses. The android is twitching and trying to wipe its power core clean of a charred white substance that’s sticking and burning. Jimin grabs Namjoon, lugging him over his shoulders with great difficulty. He throws a glance at the top of the dome and sees to his surprise that Anatsam has vanished. The smell of smoke and electronics begins to fill the room and Jimin runs as fast as he can out of the room. 

Ten catches his breath and finds the strength to sit up just as Jimin rushes past him. He winces as he makes a move to follow but falls back to the floor. He groans and the smell of smoke draws his attention to his android, convulsing on the floor as his power core burns blue. He gasps and rushes forward, limping to Taeyong’s side. Smoke is pouring out from all of Taeyong’s compartments, from the back of his neck, his arms, and his chest. He’s burning inside out. Taeyong’s eyes are blank when he slides to his knees beside him but the dying android manages to look at him, really look at him. 

“Ten, h-help me… p-please” 

Ten bites his lip and his vision blurs. This is too much, this is too similar to… 

Taeyong’s gentle fingers brush away the tears on his cheeks, drawing him back to the present before his memories drag him into the past. 

“Taeyong, stay with me. Stay awake.” 

Ten cries freely as Taeyong goes limp, the fire in his chest fizzling out, his power core no longer glowing. 

And below in the ballroom, the masses are ignorant to the struggle that just went down. The music is loud and neon drinks are spilled as people dance and celebrate. On the stage, Jackson shines in hues of red and blue, bellowing into his mic  _ “I told myself that I’ll be okay. It does not matter every day to dry the tears. All night only face yourself. I’m on my own. Just convince yourself. I’m feeling good right now. I’m feeling good right now” _

~~~

Jackson smiles as the last of the party attendees stumble out of the ballroom, “Well, I’d say this party was a huge success, right, Bambam? They won’t be forgetting that anytime soon!” 

The small device on his wrist chirps to life with a soft blue light, “The party was good but there’s a problem you have to attend to.” 

“Oh? Is it a guest?” 

“Nope, it’s actually just upstairs.” 

Jackson walks out of the ballroom and smiles as the early morning sunshine begins to filter into the hotel through the skylights. He quickly makes his way upstairs, greeting the few guests he sees as he goes. He comes to a halt when he sees the rectangular cut out in the pristine wall. 

“What the hell…” 

He steps inside and looks around the dark room. 

“The cams in the hall captured two people cutting through the wall and coming in here. I don’t know what happened after that because the cam was shot. It’s repaired now.” 

Jackson holds up his wrist and a beam of light flicks on from the device. He sweeps the floor and sees the laser blasts and the cut vent. 

“I reviewed more footage from down the hall and two different persons crawled into the vents. My guess is they came in here and fought.” 

Jackson grows more puzzled before his foot sends something skittering across the floor. He points the flashlight down and walks towards it. He frowns and picks up a metallic ball. 

“Huh… Did you run their faces through recognition programs?” 

“Yes! The two from the vents are Kim Jimin and Kim Namjoon. They’re wanted by the Intergalactic Guard for vigilante acts. The two that cut through the walls are Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul and Lee Taeyong. Mr. Chittaphon is wanted by the Intergalactic Guard and by quite a few criminal organizations. Lee Taeyong, however…” 

Jackson looks down at his wrist when Bambam seems to hesitate, “What?” 

“Well, the records say Lee Taeyong died a few revolutions ago. Killed by crossfire in the slums of the planet Kwhamrak.” 

“Was he associated with Chittaphon before his death?” 

“Yes, sir. According to old social media posts, the two were set to be married.” 

“Hmm. Maybe he faked his death…” 

“Would you like me to report them, sir?” 

“No, they didn’t harm anyone.” 

Jackson puts the weird metallic ball in his pocket and walks out of the room. 

“Have maintenance come to fix the vent and the wall.” 

“Yes, Jackson.” 

He yawns and walks towards the elevators. “I’m going to get my beauty sleep,” he smirks, “not that I need it!”

~~~

_ “Pulling me down _

_ Pulling me like gravity _

_ Driving the spaceship like that _

_ Into the infinity, cosmos like that” _

In a dark room illuminated only by a black screen with white numbers scrolling across it and a loading bar slowly progressing on the bottom, Ten sits on a crate facing a bed, listening to a song he found on Taeyong’s drive, Taeyong’s song. From the bed run wires hooked to the computer on a desk to his right. His eyes are fixated on the person lying on the bed. Taeyong lays motionless and connected to the wires. 

After the failed mission on Momoda, Ten carried his body to the garage of the resort and hijacked one of the small cargo ships belonging to the hotel. It had enough fuel to get him to one of his hideouts on an uncharted planet. They crash-landed but at least that took care of the stolen vessel. He rebuilt Taeyong’s body and tried to salvage any and all the data on his chips. He regrets pushing him away and treating him like nothing more than a lackey. 

He lost him once. The real Taeyong, the being that grew up on his own on a planet where he didn’t matter. He remembers the day they met… at a festival. Taeyong was minding his own business, running a stall… and Ten was studying abroad with Johnny. Taeyong offered his sweets and Ten offered his heart. They were inseparable since then until Ten got mixed in with the wrong people. Taeyong was taken from him, gruesomely. He tried to bring him back, making an exact android replica. The android awoke with no memories of his Taeyong but every action and pattern of speech was exactly like his. He failed and tried to take his life then but the new Taeyong rescued him, risking his own life. He nearly lost him and he pushed him away, afraid of growing too attached, and yet... while he wasn’t the Taeyong that he knew, he couldn’t bear to see this one lose its life too until he did a span ago. He may not have the memories of their life before but it’s still Taeyong in there, his Taeyong… 

A chime from the computer breaks his thoughts and he looks over. The screen reads “Upload Complete”. Ten lets out a shuddery breath and presses a few keys before turning back to Taeyong. 

There’s a soft hum and then Taeyong opens his eyes. He blinks slowly and sits up, turning to look at Ten. They stare at each other for a moment before Ten throws himself on him, hugging him tightly. 

Taeyong hugs Ten back, “I’m ok.” 

Ten pulls away and opens his mouth but Taeyong cuts him off before he can get a word out, “I want to be with you, Ten.” 

Ten nods and presses his face to Taeyong’s shoulder. He smiles despite the tears on his face as Taeyong holds him impossibly close and presses a kiss to the top of his head. 

They were meant to be, in all their different lives, in this one, and the next, and all those to come.

~~~

Namjoon jerks awake, sitting up and looking around wildly. He frowns in confusion when he doesn’t wake up in the dark room with the dome and loud music and instead in a naturally lit room. He looks around at the white covers over him, the cot he’s on, the faded yellow curtains blowing over the window, the wooden floorboards, the various posters on the walls… 

This is his room. His room back on Terra… 

Did he dream all of that up?! The space missions? The black hole? The fights? Jimin?... Did he dream him up too? 

He throws his covers off and gets up, running out of the room and down the hall. He passes the living room and the kitchen and bursts out the front door. The sun is high in the sky shrouded by clouds and a breeze blows through, flitting the tall grass. His home is just as he remembers it. His family must be out and about, working the farm then. He runs ahead, paying no attention to the gravel despite being barefoot. He slows over the hill when the gravel turns to dirt. Below he sees a familiar figure and pink hair, sitting in the grass. He breathes out a sigh of relief and runs towards him. 

Jimin turns around when he hears Namjoon coming close and smiles, jumping to his feet and running towards him. Namjoon grins and catches Jimin in his arms, twirling him around before setting him down gently. Jimin giggles and kisses him sweetly. 

“I’m so glad you’re ok. You’ve been asleep for the past rotation.” 

Namjoon smiles and kisses Jimin’s forehead, “I’m glad you’re ok too. I thought I dreamed you up when I woke up alone… Where is everyone?” 

Jimin entwines his fingers with Namjoon’s and leads him back towards the house, “They went out to the market. Anyway, I’m glad you’re awake now. It was so tough, but mostly embarrassing, trying to talk to your mom and dad. You know, since I don’t really know much of your language and they didn’t really know a lot of Imperial K either.” Namjoon chuckles, imagining that scenario. Jimin takes Namjoon back into the house and helps him eat. 

While Namjoon is stuffing his face, Jimin recounts to him how after he passed out, he rushed them off of Momoda after getting Yoongi and Hoseok. He returned them to Yoongi’s moon and then when he wouldn’t wake up, decided to bring him home. 

Namjoon grabs hold of Jimin’s hand and kisses it, “Thank you.” 

Jimin smiles, “How about you show me around and we call it even?” 

“Deal.” 

Namjoon cups Jimin’s face in his hands and kisses him before whispering, “I love you.” 

“I love you too.”


End file.
